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regulate the use of facial recognition technology.

SB 185 adds new rules to South Dakota law (§10-56-22) that restrict how police and government agencies can use facial recognition technology. The bill likely requires warrants, limits databases that can be searched, or establishes other safeguards to protect citizens' privacy when their faces are scanned or analyzed by authorities. The exact protections would depend on the specific language of the amendment, which wasn't fully included in the materials provided.

regulate certain portable recording systems worn by law enforcement officers.

South Dakota law enforcement officers who wear body cameras are automatically considered to have consent to record interactions under state wiretapping laws, eliminating the need to get permission from people they're recording. The bill also establishes definitions for body camera systems and recordings, and requires officers to notify the public when their cameras are actively recording during interactions. This change makes it easier for police to use body camera footage as evidence without worrying about violating South Dakota's two-party consent recording law.

revise provisions regarding civil forfeiture.

SB 172 revises South Dakota's civil forfeiture laws by amending the section that governs how property can be seized by law enforcement. The specific changes to the statute are not fully detailed in this document excerpt, but the bill modifies the procedures or requirements related to civil forfeiture cases. To understand the exact impact, you would need to review the complete text of the amended statute.

establish limitations applicable to initial family assessments.

When the Department of Social Services investigates child abuse or neglect, law enforcement officers may accompany caseworkers only to protect the caseworker's safety—they cannot participate in the investigation or gather evidence themselves. Officers must tell any adults present about this limitation, though they can resume normal law enforcement duties if they witness a crime, need to take a child into protective custody, or face an emergency situation.